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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Set in Haiti during the reign of Baby Doc Duvalier, Laurent Cantet's (the unusual, quietly persuasive "Time Out")"Heading South" ("Vers le Sud") is an erotic fairy-tale in many ways: the "noble," pliant natives in the person of Legba (the excellent Menothy Cesar), rich bored white women looking for a summer vacation of good times, hot beaches, cool drinks and hot sex.
The story features three such women: the mercurial, experienced at the hows and whys of Haiti and its beach boys Ellen (Charlotte Rampling), the basically depressed and debauched Brenda (Karen Young) and the wise, knows the scoop, been there, done that and wants to do it again French Canadian, Sue (Louise Portal). All three have been to Haiti previously and all, for better or worse, are back as this film begins.
Without a doubt the center of Ellen and Brenda's attention is the charismatic Legba: coal black, wide smile, welcoming, willing and emotionally and physically available at all times for both of them...a neat trick as its hard enough to keep one woman happy, but two? But human beings being human beings things go awry pretty quickly.
On the surface it would seem that Legba is being manipulated and used but on closer inspection it is Legba who holds all the cards and he deals them as he sees fit. Legba is in charge and it is Ellen and Brenda who willingly do his bidding. And Menothy Cesar's Legba is more that up to all this attention and scrutiny: his Legba is wise, intelligent, thoughtful, loving, family oriented...not just a piece of meat, in other words, not available to the highest bidder.
The young, virile Haitians are the prizes in Cantet's heady, jasmine scented, tropical world and they use their youthful potency and attractiveness as the currency that will translate into a one-way ticket to a life out of their everyday poverty and squalor.
The story features three such women: the mercurial, experienced at the hows and whys of Haiti and its beach boys Ellen (Charlotte Rampling), the basically depressed and debauched Brenda (Karen Young) and the wise, knows the scoop, been there, done that and wants to do it again French Canadian, Sue (Louise Portal). All three have been to Haiti previously and all, for better or worse, are back as this film begins.
Without a doubt the center of Ellen and Brenda's attention is the charismatic Legba: coal black, wide smile, welcoming, willing and emotionally and physically available at all times for both of them...a neat trick as its hard enough to keep one woman happy, but two? But human beings being human beings things go awry pretty quickly.
On the surface it would seem that Legba is being manipulated and used but on closer inspection it is Legba who holds all the cards and he deals them as he sees fit. Legba is in charge and it is Ellen and Brenda who willingly do his bidding. And Menothy Cesar's Legba is more that up to all this attention and scrutiny: his Legba is wise, intelligent, thoughtful, loving, family oriented...not just a piece of meat, in other words, not available to the highest bidder.
The young, virile Haitians are the prizes in Cantet's heady, jasmine scented, tropical world and they use their youthful potency and attractiveness as the currency that will translate into a one-way ticket to a life out of their everyday poverty and squalor.
20 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Magnificently disturbing. "Heading South" is an original and touching film that explores the relationship between power and sexuality in the context of Duvalier's Haiti, where wealthy Western women come to enjoy young black men.
The beauty of the film is in its ambivalence: Cantet offers many questions but no easy answers to the audience. Are Ellen, Brenda and Sue exploiting Legba and his friends, or offering them a new life? Why does Brenda find Legba so different, so much more attractive, to the black men of the USA? (Perhaps her statement "they're somehow closer to nature" reveals much about the women's real view on their lovers) What is lacking in the Western world for these three successful ladies that they have to return to Haiti every summer?
As the viewer, you are only entitled to view Haiti through the prism of the three Western women. Thus many of the events of the film and characteristics of the society - as well as the stunning climax - are left only partially explained. This is both frustrating and fascinating, empowering and debilitating. You can only partially uncover the world in which Legba and his friends live. You are subject to the same limitations as Ellen and Brenda, but then perhaps this is ultimately reflective of the psychology of the women (or Western society more generally): one does not seek to understand; one cannot understand.
Charlotte Rampling is stunning as the bored, jaded and intelligent professor of French literature. Menothy Cesar is seductive, elusive and understated as Legba. Although deeply erotic in places, the film deserves to be watched first and foremost for its emotional intensity and excellent characterisation.
The beauty of the film is in its ambivalence: Cantet offers many questions but no easy answers to the audience. Are Ellen, Brenda and Sue exploiting Legba and his friends, or offering them a new life? Why does Brenda find Legba so different, so much more attractive, to the black men of the USA? (Perhaps her statement "they're somehow closer to nature" reveals much about the women's real view on their lovers) What is lacking in the Western world for these three successful ladies that they have to return to Haiti every summer?
As the viewer, you are only entitled to view Haiti through the prism of the three Western women. Thus many of the events of the film and characteristics of the society - as well as the stunning climax - are left only partially explained. This is both frustrating and fascinating, empowering and debilitating. You can only partially uncover the world in which Legba and his friends live. You are subject to the same limitations as Ellen and Brenda, but then perhaps this is ultimately reflective of the psychology of the women (or Western society more generally): one does not seek to understand; one cannot understand.
Charlotte Rampling is stunning as the bored, jaded and intelligent professor of French literature. Menothy Cesar is seductive, elusive and understated as Legba. Although deeply erotic in places, the film deserves to be watched first and foremost for its emotional intensity and excellent characterisation.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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I agree with all the others who gave this film such a positive review. The views of Haiti are limited, as our insights into the character of Legba. We see things solely from the point of view of the three self-indulgent, female tourists. The soliloquy given by each of the actresses are superb devices, pulled off well by two of the three stars (you judge which). The violent end is well-handled and leaves just enough questions open to be satisfying. Did the women ever come back, where are they now, and did Brenda really do what she vowed she would. A definite five-start film
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Confused and confusing
There is a moment near the end of this movie when the police are giving Ellen (Queen Bitch of the American sex tourists) a perfunctory interrogation after her shared boyfriend... Read more
Published on 3 Dec 2008 by Peter Scott-presland
Having fun in the sun with the Natives
I never knew that sex tourism also include middle aged white women going to Haiti in the 70s for young black guys, hence the story of the film "Heading South" (Vers le sud). Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2007 by Jenny J.J.I.
Original theme, beautiful location, but........
Beautiful location and very original theme - specially because it looks to sexual tourism from a women's perspective. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2006 by N.P.S.
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